New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-10
POPULAR OBSERVATIONS.
FREE TRADE STARVATION.
AN IMPRESSIVE LESSON LEARNED IN LONDON 4

AN IMPRESSIVE LESSON LEARNED IN LONDON AND
HINT AS To THE USE OF THE SURPLUS.
10 the Editor Of Ths TrfbunG
SIR: The editorial in to-day's TRIBUNE entitled
starvation Camp In London" while sufficiently start.
ling to those not familiar with the subject is yet really
an understatement of the condition Of things In that
city. Asimiar condition exists On prspsrtionate de-
gree OF course in all OF the cities and towns OF Great
Britain Indeed l have statistics. which have
doubt Trustworthy showing that one person in every
thirty eight Of the population OF Great Brain Is pau
per. Besides this it well known fact that such OF
the laborinS classes fortunate enough be
poyed scarcely keep body and together on the
starvation wages which they receive
And this is the result OF fifty years or moro OF FREQ
trade! How do American laboring mon relish such
prospects,
Ihavc always been Democrat and free trader, but
having been compelled by illness TO spend a large
portion of the last two years abroad and having had
ample opportunities to observe the difference In the
condition OF the aborcr in the United States and
In European countries. | thoroughly
WINGED hat the policy Of protection TO American
labor "a the true policy for this country Bnt
proc system should be extended protect the
farnc, well As tie manufacturer Our farmers
into Greet competition with the cheapest farm labor in
the word-that of India. Russia. Austria, Hungary
and Egypt Tho wheat raised by the sixpence per day
Labor Of the three first named Countries and the cotton
raised by the still poorly paid Egyptian, Ak the
prices for tho wheat and raised by American
farm~rs in the great and these in
turn INK ttc prices here.
We are npw threatened with financial disturbance on
account or the surplus accrung from
present protective tariff How could this surplus be
better employed than In protecting farmers and
encouraging orr shpbnidciSl Pav export bounty Of
say ten per cent on AL agrcn ulal products. ard
extra bounty OF live per cent such exported
In American bottoms. Under tue stimulus of such q
bounty our agricultural exports would reach
nous hSuies, ana our mercantile marine would be
revived aS II by paec
And these great results would be accomplished with
OFT harshplo anybody for IL would be absurd to call
present scale % taxation burdensOme.
! am SIM a Democrat. but / really do how I
can remain one much LONGER II that party commits itself
10 tho policy Of free trade and starving labor which
ENGLAND has 80 successfully nIugraiei. Unless. how
ever. the american farmer Il protected against runous
forei"n competition, he Is certain later rebel
against system which protects the MANUFACTURING
almost entirely at hiJ expense.
The whole surplus question seems to mo TO resolve
itself INTO this:
cheaper even as matter OF dollars and cents-
spend from nifty to hundred millions of dollars
year in maintaining our working people IN positive COM
fort and comparative luxury for the purpose Of saving
that amount three cents per week for each OF us,
Senator Evar;s puis ~ to I'LL our streets with oilers and
paupers and our prisons with criminals and fe 0nsi
That Is the question. and the only question to DC
decided
LOndOns starving crowds are frightful fact which
all the arguments OF political economists from Adam
Smiths time until doonsday could not dspel explain
away. If such IL the result of free trade"
certainly want none OF IL ia this country.
Netc York, Oct. IS, 1887. SAMUEL BARTON.